A tiled shower can usually be refinished, and there are 2 things that decide it: whether the tile is still firmly attached, and whether water is getting behind it. Get those 2 right and a shower is one of the most worthwhile rooms in the house to refinish, because it is the surface that takes the most punishment and shows it soonest.
Get them wrong and no finish will save it.
How do you tell whether the tile is sound?
Tap across the wall with a knuckle and listen. Tile that is properly bonded sounds solid and consistent. Tile that has come away from what is behind it sounds hollow, which people usually describe as drummy. A hollow patch means the tile is no longer held, and a new surface over it will move and fail with it. You do not need any tools for this and it takes 2 minutes.
Check the corners and the bottom courses especially, because that is where it usually starts.
How do you know if water is getting behind?
Look for the signs outside the shower rather than inside it. Staining or bubbling paint on the other side of the wall, a soft or springy floor at the shower entrance, a musty smell that does not clear, or grout that stays visibly damp long after the shower has been used. Any of those mean the problem is behind the tile, not on it, and that has to be dealt with before any surface work makes sense.
What if the shower fails one of those checks?
We will tell you. It is a short conversation and it saves you money, because refinishing a wall that is moving or wet is work that will not last, and we do not want to do it any more than you want to pay for it. Where there is a leak, that is a job for the trade that handles it, and the surface work can follow once it is sorted.
Being told no is sometimes the useful answer.
What does refinishing a shower actually improve?
The 3 things people usually dislike: dated colour, staining that will not clean off, and grout lines that look dark whatever you do to them. The finish goes across the tile face and the grout together, so the enclosure comes back as an even surface. Chips in the tile are repaired first rather than coated over, which is covered under chip repairs.
Is a shower harder to refinish than a bathroom wall?
It needs more care, because a shower is a wetter environment and the preparation has to be right for it. That is a reason to be particular about the work, not a reason to avoid it. What we will not do is give you a general drying time: a shower needs to be left alone until the finish has cured, and we give you that answer for your job in writing rather than as a rule of thumb.
What about the shower tray or the bath beneath it?
If the shower is over a bath, the bath is usually the part in the worst condition, because it takes the water and the wear. Doing the walls and leaving a stained, chipped bath underneath rarely satisfies anyone, so those normally go together in one visit.
A separate shower tray is its own question and depends what it is made of.
Send a photograph of it along with the walls. Some trays refinish well and some are better left, and it is a short answer once we can see what you have rather than a general rule.
How do you keep a refinished shower looking right?
A non abrasive cleaner, a soft cloth, and letting the enclosure dry. Squeegeeing or wiping the walls down after use makes a real difference in a Bermuda bathroom, because humidity means the surface stays wet far longer here than it would elsewhere, and standing water is what gets into any weak point. Keep strong descalers and scouring pads away from it, and the finish stays as it went on.
What if the shower has already been refinished once?
That is worth telling us before we quote, because a previous coating changes the preparation completely. A new finish has to bond to what is underneath, and an older coating that is lifting or poorly bonded has to be dealt with rather than covered.
It is also the most common reason a second refinish disappoints.
Say what you know about any previous work when you send photographs, even if you are not sure what was used. It is better than us finding out on the day.
What should you do next?
Do the 2 checks above, then send photos of the enclosure and the worst area with a quote request. We will give you a straight answer about whether it suits refinishing. More on tile refinishing, or see how a visit runs on our process page. You can also call (441) 236-8827.
Do the two checks first, then send the photographs. Those five minutes are what separate a shower worth refinishing from one that needs a different trade first, and knowing which you have costs nothing.
Common questions
Can a tiled shower be refinished?
A tiled shower can usually be refinished, and there are 2 things that decide it: whether the tile is still firmly attached, and whether water is getting behind it.
How do I know if my shower tile is still sound?
Tap across the wall with a knuckle and listen. Tile that is properly bonded sounds solid and consistent. Tile that has come away from what is behind it sounds hollow, which people usually describe as drummy.
